Who needs Enemas?
INTERNATIONALLY, it was a week when China entered into UK politics after Huawei got kicked off the approved vendor list for Telecoms networks.
Nationally, it was a week when Julian Lewis MP was thrown out of the Tory party, after he’d been elected to chair parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee and when Matt the Hapless learned that England’s Coronavirus numbers were wrong.
Locally, it was a week in which a number of apparently disconnected little things added up to one rather bigger thing.
Security, what security?
The Government decided to remove Huawei from its list of permitted suppliers, only to wake up and discover that there’s no UK alternative and that the Chinese government were ‘somewhat disappointed’.
The consequences of compromised communications range from scary to complete wipeout while the lack of a UK alternative is down to generations of governments and bankers and the consequential decline in manufacturing enterprise. Oops.
Safety in numbers
As Mr Hancock-up has discovered, Covid-19 death statistics in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland record those who’d died within 28 days of testing positive while those in England include people who’d tested positive at any time.
With the UK being second only to Belgium in Covid-19 deaths permillion, he might be looking forward to reducing the UK’s count from its current 45,000 level.
Howevermassaging the numbers won’t explain why 2020’s excess deaths are between 59,000 and 64,000.
But Hancock is an honourable man, as are they all: Right; Honourable; men.
Wakey-wakey, rise and shine
You know things are getting back to normal when a borough contractor trots out coronavirus as their excuse.
Emmbrook andWinnersh residents will be under-joyed by Balfour Beatty’s announcement of extended hours, 6.30am until 7pm, for the Winnersh Relief Road Phase 2 and the NWDR (NorthWokingham Distributor Road) roundabout on the Reading Road.
As work onWRR2 is between three and five years late in starting, you might wonderwhat’s the hurry?
AreWBC Highways trying to recover their reputation before the May 2021 elections?
Or are the Tories trying to give two rebel provinces a hard time?
PerhapsWokingham borough’s bidding to become even more ‘developer-friendly’?
Building up reserves
On local radio last week Cllr John Kaiser, WBC’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance, said that the Borough Council had been building up reserves.
Fact-checking showed that this was at odds with previous council leaders’ and the Chief fianncial officers’ pronouncements.
The General Fund Balance in successive years from 2015 was £11.1 million, £10.4 million, £10 million, £9.1 million, then £8.8 million in 2019 and projected as £8.5 million in 2020.
So it’s a downwards sort of building-up.
Unless promised Government bail-out funds arrive as promised, then 2020’s numberwill look more like ‘worst ever’ than ‘building-up’.
Northamptonshire anyone?
The Omnishambles
Not so much ‘Malcolm the Silent’ as ‘Malcolm the Silenced’ becauseWokingham’s IT (henceforthWIT), appeared as much responsible as the leaderwas for the catastrophically badly- run Full Council meeting a couple of weeks ago.
Fortunately Keith Baker (deputymayor) wasn’t among theWIT-less and, using his own kit, was able to step in and run the showwell until the Shute Endians could startWITtering on again.
A review of the video gaveWITness to this not being the only problem - as the way questions, motions, even the shonky ‘hands up’ voting system showed.
Although a ‘light bulb moment’ had come a couple of days before this review, it was reinforced some 2 hours, 29 minutes and 5 seconds into the meeting whenWBC Leader Cllr John Halsall said “One of the victims was a very popular Holt schoolteacher, James Furlough”.
For the record, this gentle man’s name was James Furlong.
Requiescat in Pace.
Looking ahead, I’d like to wish every success to those atWIT’s End for tonight’s omnishambles. Sorry, Full Council.
Barbecue of the Vanities
TheWoke-splaining started back in May 2016when a letter fromWBC Licensing told the owner of the BBQ King van that his license wasn’t being renewed because “the lay-by you occupywill be classified as a proper bus stop”.
Which was rather odd as the hardstanding WBC provided for the van lay under the trees, set well back from the road, not in a lay-by at all.